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EIF - Marie Curie actions-Intra-European Fellowships

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The project will use metallo-supramolecular assembly to design cylinders which are of similar size to biomolecular DNA recognition motifs. Such a cylinder has been shown to recognise the major-groove of DNA and afford unexpected and dramatic DNA coiling. The work proposed herein will develop further this exciting breakthrough and will probe how the molecular level structure and the molecular level binding influences the macromolecular coiling effect. It will extend the cylinders to incorporate DNA cleavage activity and then take the cylinder approach to a higher level by using it to target 4-way DNA junctions that are an important biological target because of their role in homologous DNA recombination.

In addition to the high-level research training provided by the project, the training aspects of the programme also include: training through advanced courses in both supramolecular design and in techniques for studying drug-DNA interactions; training in presentation, communication and dissemination skills; courses related to economic aspects and career development; training in dissemination to the wider public.

The research project has been selected and devised to give me new competences in the exciting new area of design of metallo-supramolecular DNA binding agents and to bring me new skills in techniques of studying drug-biomolecule interactions. This new area is one which I would like to pursue and I hope to be able to retain collaborative links with the Birmingham teams after my fellowship. Of equal importance, the career development courses will provide an excellent preparation for managing a research team and in combination these various training will advance my professional maturity and prepare me to obtain a position as a permanent staff member in a European University researching at the interface of Chemistry with Biology, where I hope to progress quickly towards directing a research team and ultimately towards heading my own research group.